Scots links and Irish links

[Paul P]

Sure Ville

Maybe you can come and play Belmullet (Carne) sometime. I will not be around much till November, but I should be available after that.

Trinity is a great place to study (I went to the other big college in Dublin, UCD). You are right in the centre of town, where there's lots of pubs and things to do. They will have a golf society and team there that will enable you to play some good courses quite cheap.


Paul

[Brian Phillips]

Paul P,

Isn't Trinity where the great Jonah Barrington studied?

Brian.

[Paul P]

Brian

I don't know much about him, but he went to Trinity alright. He was the squash player?

Paul

[Brian Phillips]

Paul,

He was THE squash player!!  He changed the attitudes of all squash players.  He created training rituals never seen before.

Brian.

[Paul P]

Brian

Excellent, another Irishman to celebrate.

[Brian Phillips]

Paul,

I just checked my AA guide to golf book to try to find Belmullet.  

How the hell does one get all the way out there???  How long a drive is that from Dublin?

I am moving over to Edinburgh from Norway on Wednesday for a years study of GCA.  I will definately be coming over to Ireland and thought about dropping in on you.  I would fly from Glasgow direct to Dublin with Ryanair.

Cheers

Brian Phillips

www.phillipsgolfdesign.com

[Paul P]

Brian

Yep, that would be fine. You can get a flight from Edinburgh to Dublin, usually for next to nothing.

Belmullet is about a 5-hour drive from Dublin, maybe a little less. The roads are good, in Irish terms, for most of the way. You can go via Rosses Point and Enniscrone too.

[Tom Doak]

I can't remember which golf writer was the first to call Pacific Dunes "Irish" as opposed to Bandon's "Scottish."

My first reaction was to object, because links courses in the two countries are not that much different, and we certainly never aimed to make Pacific Dunes more "Irish."  We were just trying to make it different from Bandon, which had already been pronounced "Scottish."

I think the distinction is made by writers who have played only the big-name courses on either side of the Irish Sea.  With that sampling, the Irish courses -- especially Ballybunion, Lahinch, Portrush and County Down -- occupy more dramatic bits of land with bigger dunes than most of the Scottish courses (St. Andrews, Troon, Turnberry, Carnoustie).  By this definition you could call Cruden Bay somewhat "Irish" and Portmarnock somewhat "Scottish."

It is true that Mike Keiser and I traveled together in Northern Ireland back in 1995, and gathered certain lessons about what made those courses so great.  It is also true that some of Pacific Dunes feels more like Royal County Down than any other course I can think of.  But I wasn't thinking about that at all when we were building it ... I promise.

[Diarmuid]

Paul

Apart from the turf and the location, nothing really defines Scottish or Irish links. Clearly, the great, and some of the not-as-great, Scottish links are older than Irish links. These were designed for the game of old, yet still accomodate the modern game. Other than that, links in both countries depend entirely on the land developed.

Whiskey is much the same. It goes with links golf like ham and egg. Roger, while most Irish whiskey is tripple distilled, some scotch is too. Also, the Cooley distillery in Ireland now produces double distilled produce, like the excellent Connemara whiskey. The real difference is that Irish whiskey uses malted and unmalted barley.

Rich, I know you are speaking in jest, especially since you object to the "e" in whiskey due to your dislike for redundant keystrokes yet still use the word "superfluous" to describe it. However, Bushmills would not be considered the finest of Irish whiskey. Indeed, it would seem that Blackbush would seem to have gone down in quality over the years, although there are some excellent brands to be had there. And on it being produced by presbeterians - they actually only produce grain whiskey there and get their malts from the Middleton distillery in Cork, which is owned by the same company, for their blends. And Powers is considered the world over as an excellent brand. The Powers Gold is a gorgeous ball of malt, which goes beautifully with a stout. On to the finest Irish whiskey. Two that define the Irish label are the pure pot stilled ones - Redbreast and Greenspot. Considered by many to be two of the best whiskies in the world - hard to get, although not expensive, I would recommend you all try it after a bash on the links.

Other excellent Irish tipples include

Redbreast
Greenspot
Jameson 1780
Middleton Very Rare
Powers Gold Label and Special Reserve
Knappogue Castle

And scotch

Glenhaven single malt -  17 year old
Aberlour 15 year old Speyside single malt
Glenfarclas single malt...

and many more. mmmm.

A great day would include a round in Portmarnock or RCD and Redbreast. I'll have to organise that before the weather gets bad.


Paul Daley

I read your book and enjoyed it very much.

[Paul Daley]

Diarmuid:

Much obliged for your kind sentiment. The research undertaken over four trips was the most enjoyable part.

Happy Golfing.

[Jack Marr]

Whether there is a significant actual difference between Scottish links and Irish ones, I don't know for sure. There is a percieved one, however.

I have never played courses like Ballybunion, Enniscrone, Tralee, or Belmullet in Scotland. I haven't played many courses like them in Ireland either. When people think of Irish links, they think of playing between the dunes.

I have not played all the Scottish links, and I know places like Cruden Bay are similar, from reports. My point is that Irish links get their "rugged" reputation from a handfull of courses. Their more sophisticated courses are great too. Every links is different, thanks be to God.

PS, Powers Gold Label whiskey is one of the finest, if not the finest IMO, blends in the world. This is also the opinion of the world's most renound whisky writer, Jim Murray. Try Irish Pure Pot Still whiskey if you're over there.

[John_D._Bernhardt]

Tom, I hope history does place Pacific Dunes in the company of Royal County Down for that is very good company indeed. I see the similarities and love both.